Portuguese laurel creates a great hedge with its relatively small, dark green leaf and very high density. The evergreen Portuguese laurel has leaves that have a length of about 2 inches and beautiful white flowers, that provide a classic look to the garden.
However, just like any other plant, Portuguese laurel can have a disease, especially if you buy one from a dishonest seller.
Unfortunately, laurel hedge from bad breeding is more susceptible to diseases. Therefore, it is important to buy a Portuguese laurel that has been grown by someone for whom quality is very important. Ideally, find a store that grows all hedge plants themselves with a lot of expertise, love, and an eye for healthy plants. After you have bought high-quality plants, it is important to provide the hedge with the best conditions: the soil is permeable to water, the plant is not exposed to the wind, and watered regularly.
How to recognize diseases in a Portuguese laurel hedge?
There are two types of diseases that are commonly found in Portuguese laurel hedges:
First, powdery mildew – this disease not only shows itself by the flour-like coating on the leaves, but the young leaves also grow curved, sometimes only on one side.
Second, shot hole disease – the recognizable disease pattern is small, red-black spots on the leaves. If your laurel has this one, leaves actually look as if they had been shot at with a shotgun. The affected surface dries out completely from the center until it finally falls off.
In rare cases, laurel may be infested with spider mites, scale, and mealybugs, which you can recognize by the blotchy leaves and fine webs. There are some products that help to get rid of these infestations, but be very careful when buying one and make sure that it will not harm the plant itself.
No matter what type of disease it is, the infested foliage should always be completely removed to prevent the disease from spreading even further. It is best to dispose of the clipped leaves right away without first depositing them on the ground.
